New equipment may be in service by October 29th
(Aspen, CO) The Federal Aviation Administration’s replacement of a critical piece of air navigational equipment on top of Aspen Mountain may take a week longer than expected. The completion date for the project has been pushed ahead from Friday, October 22nd to Friday, October 29th. The mountain-top Localizer Directional Aid (LDA) was shut down by the FAA on October 8th. The LDA provides guidance to pilots when they are on a conventional instrument approach to the airport. The existing mountain-top LDA had been in need of repair for some time, according to FAA officials.
“This facility has the FAA’s full attention,” said FAA NAVAID System Engineer, Bob Brown. “Getting it back in service is a number one priority,” Brown said.
The shutdown has caused some flight cancellations and delays at the Aspen/Pitkin County Airport.
Both airlines serving Aspen have reduced schedules during the October “off season.” Frontier operates one flight per day. Sky West operates as many as six flights per day.
“If travelers are anxious or uncomfortable about the reliability of their flights during the LDA shutdown, they should contact their airlines directly,” said Aspen/Pitkin County Airport Director, Jim Elwood. “It is unfortunate that our customers have been inconvenienced, however we must support the FAA in getting this critical work done,” Elwood said.
There are two localizer antennae serving the Aspen/Pitkin County Airport. One is located on the south end of the runway. The other is located on top of Aspen Mountain.